Method and apparatus for providing radical species to a processing volume of a processing chamber

Abstract

The present disclosure generally provides methods of providing at least metastable radical molecular species and, or, radical atomic species to a processing volume of a processing chamber during an electronic device fabrication process, and apparatus related thereto. In one embodiment, the apparatus is a gas injection assembly disposed between a remote plasma source and a processing chamber, where the gas injection assembly includes a body, a rigid dielectric liner disposed in the body, wherein the rigid dielectric liner defines a gas mixing volume, a first flange comprising a first mounting surface (to couple the gas injection assembly to a processing chamber), a second flange comprising a second mounting surface (to couple the gas injection assembly to the remote plasma source), and one or more gas injection ports formed through the body and the liner.

1 . A gas injection assembly, comprising
 a metal body;   a rigid dielectric liner disposed in the metal body, wherein the rigid dielectric liner defines a mixing volume;   a first flange comprising a first mounting surface;   a second flange comprising a second mounting surface; and   one or more gas injection ports formed through the metal body and the rigid dielectric liner, wherein   a length of the gas injection assembly, measured along a longitudinal axis thereof between a plane of the first mounting surface and a plane of the second mounting surface, is between about 25 mm and about 150 mm, and   the longitudinal axis of the gas injection assembly forms an angle with a longitudinal axis of a gas inlet port formed in a sidewall of a to be coupled processing chamber, and wherein the angle is between about 10° and about 70°.   
     
     
         2 . The gas injection assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the rigid dielectric liner comprises quartz, sapphire, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The gas injection assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the rigid dielectric liner, coaxially disposed in the metal body, defines a mixing volume having an inner diameter of between about 20 mm and about 60 mm. 
     
     
         4 . The gas injection assembly of  claim 3 , wherein at least one of the one or more gas injection ports is located between about 20 mm and about 80 mm from the first mounting surface. 
     
     
         5 . The gas injection assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more gas injection ports have a diameter of between about 0.5 mm and about 6 mm. 
     
     
         6 . A processing system, comprising:
 a processing chamber, having a chamber body which defines a processing volume;   a remote plasma source; and   a gas injection assembly fluidly coupling the remote plasma source to the processing chamber, wherein the gas injection assembly comprises:
 a metal body; 
 a rigid dielectric liner disposed in the metal body, wherein the rigid dielectric liner defines a mixing volume; 
 a first flange comprising a first mounting surface; 
 a second flange comprising a second mounting surface; and 
 one or more gas injection ports formed through the metal body and the rigid dielectric liner, wherein 
 a length of the gas injection assembly, measured along a longitudinal axis thereof between a plane of the first mounting surface and a plane of the second mounting surface, is between about 25 mm and about 150 mm, and 
 the longitudinal axis of the gas injection assembly forms an angle with a longitudinal axis of a gas inlet port formed in a sidewall of a to be coupled processing chamber, and wherein the angle is between about 10° and about 70°. 
   
     
     
         7 . The processing system of  claim 6  wherein the rigid dielectric liner comprises quartz, sapphire, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The processing system of  claim 6 , wherein at least one of the one or more gas injection ports is located between about 20 mm and about 80 mm from the first mounting surface. 
     
     
         9 . The processing system of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more gas injection ports have a diameter of between about 0.5 mm and about 6 mm. 
     
     
         10 . The processing system of  claim 6 , wherein the rigid dielectric liner, coaxially disposed in the metal body, defines a mixing volume having an inner diameter of between about 20 mm and about 60 mm. 
     
     
         11 . The processing system of  claim 10 , further comprising a nozzle defining an inlet port into the processing volume, wherein
 the nozzle defines a first opening proximate to, and in fluid communication with, the mixing volume and a second opening distal from the first opening, and   a ratio of a flow cross-sectional area of the mixing volume and a flow cross-sectional area of the inlet port at the second opening is between about 1:5 and about 1.10.   
     
     
         12 . The processing system of  claim 6 , further comprising computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for a method of processing a substrate, the method comprising:
 positioning a substrate in the processing volume of the processing chamber, wherein the processing volume is in fluid communication with a remote plasma source via a gas injection assembly disposed therebetween;   forming a plasma of a first gas in the remote plasma source;   flowing the plasma into a mixing volume of the gas injection assembly;   flowing a second gas to the mixing volume through one or more gas injection ports in fluid communication therewith;   dissociating molecules of the second gas into radical species thereof;   flowing the radical species into the processing volume of the processing chamber; and   exposing the substrate to the radical species.   
     
     
         13 . The processing system of  claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises heating the substrate to a temperature between about 500° C. and about 1100° C. 
     
     
         14 . The processing system of  claim 13 , wherein heating the substrate comprises directing radiant energy towards a device side surface thereof. 
     
     
         15 . A method of processing a substrate, comprising:
 positioning a substrate in a processing volume of a processing chamber, wherein the processing volume is in fluid communication with a remote plasma source via a gas injection assembly disposed therebetween;   forming a plasma of a first gas in the remote plasma source;   flowing the plasma into a mixing volume of the gas injection assembly;   flowing a second gas to the mixing volume through one or more gas injection ports in fluid communication therewith;   dissociating molecules of the second gas into radical species thereof;   flowing the radical species into the processing volume of the processing chamber; and   exposing the substrate to the radical species.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first gas comprises a noble gas, N 2 , or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising heating the substrate to a temperature between about 500° C. and about 1100° C. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein heating the substrate comprises directing radiant energy towards a device side surface thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the device side surface comprises a dielectric layer, and wherein exposing the substrate to the radical species comprises exposing the dielectric layer to the radical species. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the second gas comprises NH 3  and the radical species comprise N, NH, NH 2 , or combinations thereof.